Why do I always get harassed by customs officers when i come back from Jamaica?

Question

My boyfriend lives in Jamaica.I go every 3 months or so to visit him.I would just like to know if there are any other females out there that experiece the harassment from customs officers! Whether in Jamaica,or the States! I constantly get searched.They tell me that it is only random,some say it is because i have a common last name.Do you think it is because I am white? The customs ask me personal questions.I dread going because I always face a barrage of annoying questions! I am a decent person in the medical profession,but they don't care.I get searched usually when I get back to NY!My boyfriend says i should say the purpose of my visit is for vacation.Whenever I have said to see my boyfriend,they ask to see my bags,if I say I am staying in a hotel,they say why such a short visit? Does anyone else face this exasperating ordeal?maybe i can only stay 3 days because I have to go back to work? Can't they see that?

Answer 1

lol Any female (drug mule) who comes to visit her boyfriend ( Drug dealer) and stays shuch a short time (to maximize profit) will be barraged with questions expecially if you're young. Im 18 & it always happens to me. Dont worry, i can understand because ALOT of people try to smuggle things and it makes it bad for the rest of us, especially if we fit the profile. I just hate when they tell me its random because its not! its funny because i cant understand how its "random" & the probability of me being picked out of all the other people is sooo high.

Answer 2

The facts are you fill the profile of a mule.  You go every 3 months and only stay 3 days.  Why do you go--to carry drugs back to the the US (in their opinion).  How do you afford a trip every 3 months--by carrying drugs back to the US (in their opinion).  Don't blame TSA folks--they are involved with the security (ones doing the security screening).  It's the immigration and customs folks.  Immigrations notices that you make frequent trips to Jamiacamon and mark your  customs form so customs folks draw you out hoping to spot the drugs you are bringing back.  I get checked on about 3/4th of all my returns to the US and tell the customs guy that I know I fit the profile, don't have anything to declare, know the drill so lets get it over with so I don't miss my connection.  When they ask the questions, just be consistant and give the same answers every time you return and in fact tell them you're going back in 3 months (exact dates if you know already) so you'll see them again in 3 months.  Tell them that if your boyfriend got his green card/tourist visa you wouldn't have to make the trips to Jamaicamon, it would be cheaper on you and him and that you wish they would contact the US embassy in Kingston to process his application (they won't contact the embassy but you give them the opportunity to verify your story more).

Answer 3

'Traveler' above is fairly accurate. You fit a profile.

I should also warn that if your boyfriend IS ACTUALLY a drug trafficker, he could be under surveillance. Even if he isn't using you as a mule, there is enough inter-agency communication to have you tagged as a 'known associate'.

With a tag like this, the only way to avoid being searched is through a long legal process. Basically if you need to travel frequently for proffesional reasons, being searched EVERYTIME you travel could be presented as harrassment.

If you are a pilot for business jets, for example, customs harrasment could put you out of a job, since your clients would have to wait while you get searched.

When travelling frequently for personal reasons, i think the best thing to do is just befriend the customs officers. Know them by name if you can.  Just make a laughing matter of it "so how long are you going to search me for today?"

You could even leave cute notes for them in your bags.

Answer 4

TSA workers are mostly all a******s.